I love lists. They make me happy. I enjoy few things quite as much as debating the relative merits of one book or another with colleagues. But since I left NYPL I’ve just been making my own little lists. It’s fun but a little lonely. To keep myself in the game I also decided to read every single picture book in 2016 and I think I came pretty close. But what should I do with all this knowledge? I’m not going to review every single amazing book I saw, that’s for sure.

That when this crazy idea slapped me upside the head with a rubber chicken.

What if I were to do not one list for 2016. Not two lists. Not three. What if I were to do one list for every single day in December? A list every day! It would have to be called . . . .

31 Days, 31 Lists!!

Oh yes!! And here’s how it’ll go. Each day in December this site will produce one list. Sometimes it’ll be a list you’d be able to find elsewhere (best picture books, nonfiction, etc.). Sometimes it’ll be a list you might need but wouldn’t necessarily find elsewhere (picture book readalouds, picture books with photography, etc.). And sometimes it’ll just be a trend I’ve noticed. All these books will be 2016 publications.

Sound like fun? Here’s the schedule:

December 1 – Board Books

December 2 – Board Book Adaptations

December 3 – Nursery Rhymes

December 4 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Alphabet Books

December 7 – Funny Picture Books

December 8 – Calde-Nots

December 9 – Picture Book Reprints

December 10 – Math Picture Books

December 11 – Bilingual Books

December 12 – International Imports

December 13 – Books with a Message

December 14 – Fabulous Photography

December 15 – Fairy Tales / Folktales

December 16 – Oddest Books of the Year

December 17 – Older Picture Books

December 18 – Easy Books

December 19 – Early Chapter Books

December 20 – Graphic Novels

December 21 – Poetry

December 22 – Fictionalized Nonfiction

December 23 – American History

December 24 – Science & Nature Books

December 25 – Transcendent Holiday Titles

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 28 – Nonfiction Chapter Books

December 29 – Novel Reprints

December 30 – Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

I don’t pretend that these lists will be complete or that they won’t miss some great publications out there. However, I will at least be able to highlight all those amazing books I’ve seen this year that I wasn’t able to review. And believe me when I say that 2016 was a doozy of a year when it came to fine and fabulous publications.

Elizabeth Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About A Fuse #8 Production

Features everything from librarian previews of upcoming children's books to news, reviews, and videos. If it has something to do with children's literature, it will rate a mention here.

Betsy Bird is the Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She's reviewed for The New York Times and Kirkus, writes articles for Horn Book and SLJ, and wrote the picture book Giant Dance Party. You can contact her at Fusenumber8@gmail.com or follow her on . . .